Prelude to Requiem
by Model Builder
Summary: The Young Ones must rescue two teenagers from their world who were abducted by Venger. The boy, Henry Mills, is an "Author," and has the power to change the outcome of any story. Can the Young Ones rescue Henry and his friend, Violet, before Henry can be forced to write Venger's victory over Dungeon Master?
1. The Boy With Two Mothers

**Prelude to Requiem**

A "Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon" / "Once Upon A Time" Fanfiction Crossover.

 **Summary** : The Young Ones must rescue two teenagers from their world who were abducted by Venger. The boy, Henry Mills, is an "Author," and has the power to change the outcome of any story. Can the Young Ones rescue Henry and his friend, Violet, before Henry can be forced to write Venger's victory over Dungeon Master?

 **Disclaimer:** The "Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon Series" is owned by Marvel Productions and TSR Entertainment and Toei Animations. "Once Upon A Time" is owned and created by the team of Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. I do not own any of the characters depicted in this story. This Fan Fiction Crossover is the work of a hobbyist having fun with some of his favorite characters, and nothing more. I hope that this is a sufficient disclaimer.

 **Historian's Note** : This story takes place after "The Winds of Darkness;" the last episode of Season 3 of the "Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon" and before the unmade series finale, "Requiem." In "Once Upon A Time," the events of this story take place immediately after the last episode of Season 5; "An Untold Story," just after the main characters get back to Storybrooke from New York.

As an episode of "Once Upon A Time," the Title Card will depict the entrance to the Dungeons and Dragons ride in the middle of the Blue Forest Setting.

 **Chapter 1: The Boy With Two Mothers**

Violet Morgan watched the group of six kids from her vantage point behind a large tree. She was close enough to hear them speak clearly, and felt relief that not only could she understand their speech, but that the dialect sounded not too different from the way people in Storybrooke spoke. These must be the "Young Ones" that the evil wizard who had taken her and Henry Mills captive spoke of shortly before Henry bravely rushed their captor and told her to "run for it!" The wizard, who called himself "Venger," spoke of these "Young Ones of Dungeon Master" as being his enemies; and that made them potential allies who could help her rescue Henry.

But Violet stayed hidden because these six kids were not alone. With them was a short man with white hair and a small unicorn. Violet listened as the kids seemed to be arguing with the short man.

". . . want to go home, _now_!" a dark haired boy about Henry's age was saying. Violet could see that the boy was dressed as a knight and carrying a golden shield depicting the head of a griffon, white, upon a circular field, black. Violet furrowed her brow. Despite her studies in Camelot, she could not place this young knight's Heraldic Device.

Then another boy with long golden hair, who was dressed in Lincoln Green and carrying an unstrung bow, said, "Eric's right, Dungeon Master. We're _not_ going to go looking for this wizard Quinn or anyone else until we get assurance that we will get home!" The other kids all spoke up in agreement with the blond boy, who was clearly their leader. Violet saw that the other four kids consisted of two girls about her age and two boys who were slightly younger.

One of the girls had red hair and wore a short, purple skirt and very high boots under a blue cape. The other girl looked Moorish, ( _No_ , thought Violet. _If they are from Henry's world, she is African American_ ,) and was dressed in animal skins and carried a quarterstaff. As for the remaining boys, one wore the green robes of a wizard with a conical hat and the other boy was dressed like a barbarian in animal skins with a horned helmet and carried a club.

After several more minutes of bickering, the short man was able to regain the six kids' attention, and said, "Very well, my pupils. If you want proof that you do indeed return home, then it is proof that you shall have. But to obtain this proof, you must rescue the Boy With Two Mothers from Venger, before he can make the boy write him total victory and mastery of The Realm."

"A Boy With _Two_ Mothers?" said the girl with the red hair. "What's that even supposed to mean Dungeon Master?" Violet felt a touch of relief. So this man is The Dungeon Master that Venger spoke of.

"And how can some kid "write" Venger victory, anyway?" said the boy in the wizard's robes. It was then that Violet decided to make her move.

"H-hello . . . ," said Violet, stepping out from behind the tree. "It is true. My friend Henry does have two mothers, and he is being held captive in Venger's castle . . . ." Violet paused as the six kids rounded to her and struck battle poses. The boy in Lincoln Green drew a magical arrow from his bow and the other kids held up their quarterstaff, club and shield, all of them glowing with magical power. It was then that Violet saw that there were only five kids and a unicorn where there had previously been six. Then Violet let out a yelp of pain as she felt her arm twist behind her back. Behind her, the red haired girl threw back her head, slipping out of the hood of her cloak and becoming visible again.

"Please!" Violet said. "I'm not going to hurt you! I need your help! My friend Henry is being held captive by Venger!"

The boy with the bow eased up and the glowing arrow of magic vanished. He motioned the others to do the same, and then said, "Let her go, Sheila. This is what Dungeon Master said we have to do if we are to get home."

"You mean, if we want to see that we'll get home _eventually_ , Hank," said the boy dressed as a knight with a touch of bitterness.

The girl with the quarterstaff lowered her weapon, and went over to Sheila and Violet. "You sound like you are from our world. If we can help you and your friend, we will.

"My name is Diana. That's Sheila behind you." Diana then introduced Hank, Eric, Presto and Bobby, who Diana added was Sheila's little brother.

"I'm very glad to meet you all. My name is Violet Morgan. My friend Henry Mills and I are from Storybrooke, Maine . . . ." Violet bit her lip. She did not know how much she should tell them, or how much they would or would not believe, and her mind raced to compress the relevant details into a short narrative. And then there was the problem of just where to begin. Fortunately, the kids began asking her questions that helped Violet focus her thoughts.

Hank said, "We all came here from Los Angeles, California on an enchanted roller coaster ride. Is that how you and Henry got here?"

"No, not a roller coaster," said Violet. She did not know what a "roller coaster" was, but she sighed with relief by what she _learned_ from the question asked of her.

These kids may be from the Land Without Magic, but apparently they would not dismiss the idea of magic out of hand. Violet struggled to consolidate her thoughts. She and Henry's family had just returned from New York City. Violet had finished saying goodbye to Henry, and started to return home to her father. She was about half way home when she got Henry's text that Mr. Hyde was in Storybrooke, and to meet him and his mother Emma at Mr. Gold's shop where they would try to find something that might be used against Dr. Jekyll's alter ego.

But knowing that she had to keep her answers simple, Violet just said, "There was a . . . a problem in our town, and Henry and I went to his grandfather's store to see if we could find anything there that we could use to help solve the problem.

"One of Henry's moms – Emma – was there with us. She saw us vanish and undoubtedly went to get help from his other mom – Regina – and his grandparents."

"So this Henry really _does_ have two mothers," said Eric. "That's . . . _interesting_ . . ."

"It's _complicated_ ," corrected Violet. But I don't have time to explain it all right now."

"Of course not," said Diana reassuringly. "What happened next?"

"Henry found this parchment that had been addressed to someone he said he knew named Isaac, and as Henry read it, a vortex of red, black and grey smoke stated to swirl around him. I ran over and grabbed hold of him, and saw that Emma was coming over to us, also. But we both must have vanished before she got to us.

"We then found ourselves the great hall of a large castle, and this guy who looked like Lord Voldemort from "Harry Potter," or something-"

"W-what's "Harry Potter?" said the boy in the wizard's robes.

"A movie," said Violet shaking her head. She looked at the way the boy introduced as Presto was dressed, and said, "You mean that _you've_ never seen . . . . Never mind, there isn't enough time for this.

"I always thought that Venger reminded me of Darth Vader . . . ." said Eric.

"Anyway, Voldemort – I mean, _Venger_ \- has Henry prisoner. He wants Henry to write him Victory over you and Dungeon Master so he may become the ruler of The Realm, and we have to rescue Henry before Venger can force him to do it!"

"Hey!" said Bobby. "Dungeon Master said that the Boy With Two Mothers could help Venger win by writing him victory!"

"But how can anyone just _write_ something and make it happen?" said Sheila.

"Henry was chosen by the Sorcerer's Apprentice to be "The Author," said Violet. "He was entrusted with a magical pen to write down stories as they play out. But the pen _also_ has the power to _affect_ the plot of the stories, as well.

"But Henry _didn't_ want the job. He snapped the pen in two, saying that nobody should have that much power. He said that to Venger and demanded that he release us, or he would tell his moms. Venger just laughed, and conjured a pen for Henry to use, and told him to write exactly what he was told to write, or that he would have his orcs hurt me."

"That's terrible!" said Diana. "How did you escape?"

"Henry threw himself at Venger and told me to run," said Violet with a touch of guilt. "Oh, I didn't want to leave Henry, but I could see his plan for our rescue. Without me there to threaten, Venger has no leverage over Henry, and as long as I can avoid capture, that gives his family time to find us!"

Eric snorted. "And just how are they supposed to do that . . . ?" Diana shot him a hard look, and Eric shrugged an apology for Violet.

"Before we vanished," said Violet. "Henry threw the parchment away from us; probably hoping that doing so would stop the vortex from swallowing us. This means that the parchment is still in his grandfather's shop and Emma has it. It probably won't take Henry's moms too long to use it to come here, themselves."

Again, Eric snorted. "Hopefully they'll bring along a squad of Green Berets with them."

This time, Diana just rolled her eyes. "Then we have to keep Venger from getting Violet until Henry's mom, ah, _moms_ get here . . . ?"

Hank shook his head, and said, "I don't think so, Diana. Dungeon Master said that we have to _rescue_ Henry _from_ Venger." The Ranger sighed, and added, "And to do _that_ , we need to go to Venger's castle! Isn't that right, Dungeon Master?"

But when the children looked around, Dungeon Master was nowhere to be found. Noticing the look of concern on Violet's face, Diana said, "Relax, Violet; he does this all the time . . . ."

Hank nodded, and said, "Let's go."

Eric shrugged. "Lead on, oh, Fearless Leader."

"Oh, thank you all!" said Violet. She then joined Dungeon Master's Young Ones as they made their way through the forest towards the imposing castle of Venger, hoping that Henry's family would come to rescue them soon.

But as they left on their quest, none of them noticed the man-shaped shadow that had also been watching them from a concealed position silently fly ahead of them . . . .

Despite being command to sit at the scribe's lectern that Venger had prepared for him, the boy remained defiant and oddly calm, even though he was in the presence of the Archmage of the Realm of Dungeons and Dragons. Venger scowled and spread his dragon-like wings, again commanding the boy in his stentorian voice to sit at the lectern, take up the pen, and write him final victory over Dungeon Master and the Young Ones who came from the same world as this boy who had the power of the Written Word at his command.

Venger was about to repeat his order when he was interrupted by the Captain of his Orcs. Again, Venger noticed the boy's demeanor as the Orc approached, and was somewhat perplexed by the boy's unnatural calm. As far as this boy was concerned, the fearsome Orc Captain might as well be the castle's gong farmer. And yet, all information that Venger could obtain about The Author had indicated that he was a sniveling coward . . . .

Oh, Venger could tell that the boy _was_ afraid; albeit more so for the sake of his companion - a young girl who managed to escape from his castle shortly after the two children were transported to The Realm by the enchanted parchment - than he was for himself. And because of this, the recapture of the girl was as vital to Venger's plans as the boy was.

Venger turned to the approaching orc. The Archmage's voice reverberated off the walls of the small scriptorium as he spoke. "Well, Orc Captain, what news do you have for me . . . ?"

The Orc Captain executed a respectful bow, and said, "Master, the girl from the land of Dungeon Master's Young Ones still eludes us. The search continues."

"Very well," said Venger neutrally. "Continue the search and inform me the moment the girl has been recaptured. And be sure to not harm her . . . yet." The Orc bowed again, and was gone in moments. Venger then turned to the boy, and said, "Your companion cannot elude my orcs, lizard-men and bullywugs for too much longer, Author. The Realm is my world, boy, and is unfamiliar territory to you and your friend. Her recapture is inevitable . . . ."

The boy, who wore a dark blue peacoat and a red and grey striped scarf, kept his expression neutral. He wanted to quip that his friend, Violet Morgan, had grown up in Camelot; a land not too different from The Realm that they now found themselves in by way of an enchanted parchment from his grandpa's shop.

But Henry Mills also knew that if he talked too much, that he might inadvertently give away something that this evil warlock might be able to use against them. Right now, they were in a standoff situation. Somehow, this warlock who called himself Venger knew that Henry was an "Author," and that he had the power to affect the outcome of stories in the various Realms of Storytelling. And while Venger would not want to harm Henry at this juncture for fear of affecting his ability to write, harming Violet to force Henry to do his bidding was another matter. As long as Violet remained free, Venger could not hold her safety over Henry as a threat. And that was one of _two_ things that kept Henry's morale up.

The other thing was that Henry and Violet were not alone in his grandfather's shop when that parchment teleported them to Venger's Realm. His mom Emma was there too, and she undoubtedly went to tell his _other mother_ Regina and his grandparents David and Mary-Margaret what had happened to them. Now it was only a matter of time before Henry and Violet could expect to be rescued, and the longer that Violet remained free, the longer Henry could defy the warlock and deny this villain his victory until that help could arrive.

Again, Venger's voice filled the room like thunder. "Do not resist me, _Isaac Heller_! I have gone to great lengths to find out about you, and bring you here to My Realm! I know that you are The Author, and I have need of your abilities to defeat my eternal enemy, The Dungeon Master! Do as I say, and you and the girl will remain unharmed! Resist me any further, and you will both suffer the consequences of your defiance!"

Henry bit his lip to keep from smiling, and thought, _This Voldemort Wannabe thinks I'm the_ previous _Author, Isaac Heller. Good. The less he knows about me right now, the better._

Now another being approached Venger that Henry regarded with mild interest: a living shadow, similar to the one who had served his great grandfather in Neverland. Venger said, "Well, Shadow Demon? Have you found the girl?"

"I have, master," said the living shadow triumphantly. Henry struggled to hold his poker face as he braced for the worst.

"And . . . ?"

"M-master," stammered the shadow. "The girl has found Dungeon Master's Young Ones, and they mean to help her!" Venger scowled at that, and the shadow continued, "Shall I inform the Orc Captain of where I last espied her, Master?"

"No, Shadow Demon," replied Venger. "The girl and Dungeon Master's Young Ones will doubtlessly come to us in an attempt to rescue young Isaac Heller. They are playing right into our hands even as we speak." Venger then turned to the boy, and said, "If you take your place at the lectern, and write as I dictate, the girl shall remain unharmed. But if you continue with your insufferable delays, then her safety will be in question upon her arrival at my castle!

"You might as well face the fact that you have lost, boy, and I have won! Soon, my victory over The Realm and Dungeon Master shall be complete!"

Henry allowed himself a thin smile and raised an eyebrow as he addressed Venger. "You sure about that? I have a _better_ idea. Why don't you just forget your plans to force me to write you victory? I should warn you that I expect rescue to come at any moment now. My family is looking for us. And if you stop trying to force me to write for you, I won't tell them that that is why you brought us here and they may decide to leave you in peace when they take us home."

Now Venger smiled through his fanged mouth. "And _why_ should I fear your _family_ , boy . . . ?"

"Because Violet and I are about to be rescued by my _mom_ ," said Henry. " _Both_ of them . . . !"


	2. Mamma Bears

**Chapter 2: Mamma Bears**

The moment she got Emma's text, Regina did not waste any time and teleported directly to Gold's shop in a burst of blue smoke. "What happened, Emma? Where is our son?"

Emma pointed to the parchment lying on the floor of Gold's shop. "We came here to try and find something that we can use against Mr. Hyde. Henry was reading that and then he was surrounded by a swirling vortex of red, black and grey smoke. Violet went over to grab him, and just before they vanished, Henry threw the parchment away from them.

"I thought it best not to touch it until you got here."

Regina nodded, "Good thinking, Emma." Regina waved her hand and the parchment floated up to eye level. Regina read it and frowned. "This thing is addressed to Isaac Heller; the former Author. It appears to be a summons to appear before someone named "Venger."

"Venger . . . ." Emma sighed. "That name sounds vaguely familiar, but I just can't place it . . . ."

"I think I've heard it too, Emma," said Regina. "I think that my mom Cora might have mentioned the name of a sorcerer – an Archmage, actually – from a far-off land named Venger."

"Why does he want Henry?" said Emma.

"He doesn't," said Regina. "This Venger apparently _wanted_ Isaac Heller; but got Henry and Violet instead." Regina paced the floor for a few moments, and added, "But if he wanted Heller to write something for him, then Henry, as an Author, will serve his purpose just as well." Regina reached out and plucked the parchment from the air. Emma gasped, and prepared to grab hold of Regina the way Violet did with Henry. But this time, nothing happened. No smoke vortex encircled Regina to take her to the Realm of Venger.

"That was a bit risky, Regina."

"I didn't think that anything would happen. But I needed to be sure." Regina concentrated for a moment, and said, "There is powerful magic in this parchment, or rather, there was. But there should still be enough magic left for us to determine where it took Henry and his friend.

"I think that I can "hack" the magic remaining in this parchment. We should be able to follow Henry and Violet and keep the way open to Storybrooke so we can all get back safely. But it is going to take some time.

"While I do that, you need to get some reinforcements. I hate to say it, but we are going to need your parents. Better ask Granny if she can watch Neil. And while you're at it, see if she wouldn't mind watching Robin, too. We'll also need Zelena for this one . . . ."

Emma went outside and called her parents, asking them to explain the situation to Zelena and for the three of them to come to Gold's shop as soon as possible. When this was done, Emma turned to go back inside to see if Regina could use any help, but before she went, she used her phone to Google "Venger" to see if anything useful came up . . . .

In The Realm of Dungeons and Dragons, the Young Ones and Violet continued on their way to Venger's castle to rescue Henry Mills. They stopped by a small stream to get some water to drink and take a quick break. Sheila, Presto and Bobby spoke with Violet as Hank, Diana and Eric held a quick council. Eric said, "There's something weird about this girl Violet, Hank."

Diana regarded Eric neutrally for a moment. But instead of making a snarky comment, she turned to Hank and said, "Eric's right, Hank." And though Eric looked relieved at having been vindicated, Hank's own expression was a combination of worry and perplexity.

The Ranger shrugged, and said, "Well, I sure can't figure her out. She _says_ that she is from our world – from America; a place in Maine called "Storybrooke."

"Yeah, well, my family owns some oceanfront property in Maine, Hank," said Eric, "and in Massachusetts, too. "I'm pretty familiar with the coastal towns all along the Eastern Seaboard. And I've _never_ heard of a town called "Storybrooke," before."

Diana said, "Wherever she's from, she sure seems to be taking coming to The Realm and even magic in stride. Remember how _we_ all reacted when we first got here? You'd think that she was just lost in an unfamiliar city, or something, instead of in a land of Dungeons and Dragons."

Eric sighed. "Alright, everyone here is thinking it, so I'll just come right out and say it: is Violet a spy for Venger and is she leading us into a trap?"

Hank shook his head thoughtfully. "Dungeon Master told us about Violet and her friend Henry, and that we have to rescue him from Venger before he can be made to write Venger his victory.

"So no, I don't think that Violet is working for Venger. I have no idea of who she is, or why she is acting the way she is. But I'd bet my bow that she isn't a spy leading us into Venger's trap."

"Then who or what is she?" said Diana shrugging. "She told us that she and Henry got here by way of some 'enchanted parchment' as though she said they came into town on a Greyhound Bus."

Eric nodded. "You'd think that she and her friend Henry do this kind of thing all the time."

Hank said, "Well, for now, I think that if we want answers, we need to help Violet save Henry from Venger, first." Hank then turned to the others and said, "Alright everyone; breaks over. Let's get Violet's friend Henry away from Venger . . . ."

When Emma went back inside Gold's shop, Regina said, "Good news, Emma. I was able to recreate the spell that took Henry and Violet away. We can follow them, and keep the return portal open. Are David, Mary-Margaret and Zelena coming?"

"Yes, they're on their way," said Emma. "I also _Googled_ Venger, and this is what I got." Emma handed her phone over to Regina, who looked at the screen, and nodded.

" _Now_ I remember," said Regina. "In the Realm of Dungeons and Dragons, Venger is known as The Force of Evil! We have to get Henry away from him as soon as possible! What's keeping the two idiots and my sister?"

A second later, the door of Gold's shop opened, and David, Mary-Margaret, and Zelena all came in. Regina breathed a sigh of relief; both at their timely arrival and that they came too late to hear her "two idiots" remark. When Regina and Emma had briefed them about what had happened, Mary-Margaret said, "What do we know about this Venger character? That name does sound vaguely familiar."

Emma replied by handing her mother her cellphone. Mary-Margaret looked at the picture on the screen and blinked. "Really? This "Venger" is a . . . a _cartoon character_ . . . ?"

"You got something against cartoon characters, Snow?" said Regina dryly. "Weren't we _all_ cartoon characters at one time or another?" Regina nodded over to Emma. "Present company excluded, of course."

"So now what?" said David, who was wearing his sword, but reflexively checking to see if his sidearm was there, also.

Regina said, "I think it might be best if you, Snow and Zelena stay here at the ready in case we need more assistance. Emma and I will go to this Realm of Dungeons and Dragons to get Henry and Violet." Regina turned to Zelena, and said, "The first time you met your nephew, your initial impression left a lot to be desired. But this time, you will have the opportunity to show your nephew another side to you; a heroic side."

"Me?" said Zelena softly. "A hero . . . ?"

Regina smiled. "Today you can be!"

Emma said, "Alright; Operation Cobra Rescue Part II is about to begin!"

Regina said, "This parchment's enchantment is similar to the one used by the Snow Queen's Scroll. When I read it, the portal will open.

"But this time, instead of making a vortex of smoke, it will open up a portal in the air that we can just walk through. Now, the portal will remain open until I close it, so I want you three," Regina nodded to Zelena, David and Mary-Margaret, "to wait here for us and not let _anything_ through that shouldn't come through!"

Zelena said, "You got it, sis!" Snow and Charming nodded.

"Now let's go and get our son and his friend!" As Regina began to read the parchment, an opening in space began to form before them . . . .

When Venger's castle was in sight, Hank said, "Well, for better or for worse, we're here. Now Violet, how do we get in to rescue your friend?"

"For that matter," said Eric dryly. "How did _you_ manage to get out of there in the first place, Violet?"

Violet said, "Venger didn't expect Henry to actually attack him physically, and he was caught off-guard. I ran from the scriptorium into the hallway and kept moving until I found my way out."

"Sounds easy," said Diana neutrally.

"Or lucky . . . ," said Eric with a touch of accusation.

Violet decided that it was time for full disclosure. She told them a brief history of Storybrooke and how she and her father came to live there, leaving nothing out. Occasionally, one of the kids would raise an eyebrow; especially when she told them that her father was THE titular Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. But to Violet's relief, she managed to retain her credibility. Of course, after having spent as much time in The Realm of Dungeons and Dragons as these kids had . . . .

"I grew up in Camelot," said Violet. "My friends and I used to play in and around the castle. We kind of made it a game to find all of the secret passageways and sally-ports. They're actually very easy to spot, if you know what to look for; especially the portals that are hidden inside the castle."

"But what about Venger's guards?" said Sheila. "How did you manage to avoid them?"

"I didn't see many guards in the castle," said Violet shrugging. "Venger probably uses his guards to keep order in the countryside; figuring that nobody in The Realm is foolish enough to actually try and break into his castle.

"The few guards Venger actually has inside his castle are probably assigned to watch the prisoners he has in his dungeon. And by the time they could respond to Venger's hue and cry, I had found a concealed entrance to a passageway out of his castle. It wasn't that much longer before I found the six of you."

Uni let out an indignant bleat. Violet smiled at her, and patted her on the back. "I meant to say, the seven of you!"

"Do you remember where the hidden exit you used is?" said Hank.

"I think so," said Violet pointing to a rocky outcrop. "It should be just over there."

Using her invisibility cloak, Sheila made a quick recon of the area, and came back to report that not only had she found the entrance, but also that it was unguarded - which was to be expected of a secret passageway exit; posting a guard would only give away its existence. More to the point, most of Venger's troops were probably out scouring the countryside in search of Violet, who would not be thought foolish enough to try and reenter the castle.

As the seven kids and the unicorn navigated the dark passageway that Hank illuminated with a drawn arrow of light, Presto said, "Can you find this scriptorium again once we are inside?"

"I think so," said Violet. "I tried to remember as many landmarks as possible as I went through the hallways."

When they came to the end of the passageway, Sheila once again used her cloak of invisibility to carefully peak out of the hidden doorway, and saw that the coast was clear. When they emerged into the hallway, Violet led them to the scriptorium where she hoped that Henry was still being held. Of course, it went without saying that Venger was probably there as well.

"I don't suppose that you have a plan for what to do when we get there, Hank," said Eric.

"As a matter of fact, I do," said the Ranger evenly. "Sheila will use her cloak to see what we are up against. The moment we know where Henry, Venger, and anyone else is; we hit the bad-guys hard with everything we've got.

"Diana, Bobby and I will hit Venger with our weapons all at once. Eric, you cover Sheila and Presto and the three of you get Henry and Violet to safety.

"With any luck, we can get back out the way we came in, and avoid capture long enough for Henry's _moms_ to get here and give Venger a taste of his own medicine!"

The seven kids moved cautiously through the stone hallways, encountering no one as they made their way to the scriptorium, which was a bit further away than Violet had remembered. When they got there, Sheila used her cloak to check the room out, and said, "We're in luck! I only saw a boy in there who must be Henry! He's chained to the writing table, but Venger is not there!"

The kids entered the room and Violet went over to Henry, who was ignoring her as he diligently wrote on the parchment before him. When he finished the line he was writing, he set the pen aside, and regarded Violet with a neutral expression.

Violet said, "H-Henry, what's the matter? It's me, Violet . . . ."

"Alas," said the boy. "I am _not_ Henry . . . ." As soon as the boy spoke the words, he transformed into Venger.

Violet was startled, but not impressed. Instead, she looked Venger directly into his red eyes, and said, "What have you done with Henry?" And no sooner did she speak then Shadow Demon accompanied by several orcs, one of them holding a struggling Henry Mills, came into the scriptorium.

Venger said, "Drop your weapons, or the boy will suffer! He has no need of his _legs_ to write!" With no other option available, the Young Ones complied. With a nod to the orc holding Henry, the creature shoved the boy toward the lectern. "And now, Author, you will write as I say, or your companion and the Young Ones will suffer!"

Henry turned to Venger and said, "You'd better not have hurt Violet in any way!"

"She is unharmed, Henry Mills," said Venger. "But their safety is now in your hands . . . ." With a gesture, Venger made the Author's Pen appear in Henry's hands. "Now, Author, prepare to write me my victory and dominion over all!"

"Don't do it, Henry!" implored Violet.

"It is a pity that you are not The Author I originally sought, boy," said Venger. "I would not have had this problem with the cowardly Isaac Heller!" Venger's hands then began to glow fiercely as he turned to face Violet, who stared defiantly at Venger as she betrayed only the slightest tremble. "But fortunately, I have other means of persuasion at my disposal!"

But Henry just smiled and said, "Look behind you, you Second-Rate Saruman!"

Then Violet and the Young Ones joined Henry in smiling. Two women stood behind Venger. One had dark shoulder-length hair and wore a grey business suit. The other woman had long blonde hair, and wore jeans and a red leather jacket. And behind them was a portal back home, leading to the interior of Mr. Gold's shop.

Before Venger could make a remark about not falling for old tricks, he was startled when a woman's voice came from behind him, catching him off-guard. "Sorry it took us so long to get here, son," sassed Regina Mills.

And as Venger turned to face the women, Regina took a step forward and plunged her hand into the Archmage's chest.


	3. Setting the Stage

**Chapter 3: Setting the Stage**

Although Regina had purged herself of the Evil Queen, (and crushed her dark heart,) shortly before they all left New York to return to Storybrooke, she felt some relief that the loss of her dark side did not make her any less of a threat in a dangerous situation. In fact, it may have actually made her even more lethal to those who threatened the ones she loved. For now, gratuitous sadism would no longer get in the way of her doing what had to be done.

The Evil Queen would have kept her hand in her victim's chest for several agonizing moments to allow them to fully appreciate what she was capable of doing to them before ripping out their heart and crushing it slowly. But the moment that Regina had Venger's heart, she immediately ripped it out to ensure that he would be fully under her control as soon as possible. And to Regina Mills, ensuring the safety of her son was more important than any simple revenge could ever be.

"Don't move!" Regina commanded as she spoke into a heart that was, were it possible, darker than even the heart of her mother Cora, or even that of Mr. Gold. And with no other option, Venger did as he was told.

Emma nodded to Venger, and said, "Old friend of yours from high school, Regina . . . ?"

"Save it, Swan," said Regina, who then spoke into Venger's heart once again, and added, "Now, order your shadow servant and guards to leave us and to not return until you call them back!" Again, Venger did as he was told.

When Shadow Demon and the orcs had left, Regina turned to her son and said, "Are you alright, Henry?" She then glanced sideways at Venger, and added, "Did this . . . person . . . harm either you or Violet or any of your other friends, here, in any way . . . ?"

Henry said, "Mom! Mom! Venger found out that I am The Author, and wanted me to write him victory over some guy named Dungeon Master. Venger threatened to hurt Violet if I didn't do as he wanted me to! But Violet got away, so Venger had no leverage to use against me! And in the meantime, I _knew_ that both of you would come for us!"

Violet then introduced Regina and Emma to the six kids known locally as the Young Ones of Dungeon Master. "Mayor Mills, these kids are from the Land Without Magic. They've been here in The Realm for several years, now, and would like to come home!"

Regina shrugged, and said, "Alright by me." She then turned to Venger, and said, "But _first_ , I have to _deal_ with this _fool_ who abducted and threatened my son!"

But before Regina could crush Venger's heart, a small man came out from behind Venger and said, "Before you do anything to Venger, Evil Queen, I would suggest that you look behind you!"

"Dungeon Master!" said all the Young Ones simultaneously.

Regina said firmly, "Do you take _me_ for a fool, dwarf? I'm not taking my eyes off of either of you! Venger will _pay_ for what he did to Henry and Violet . . . ."

"M-mom!" interjected Henry. "The portal back to Storybrooke is _gone_!"

"And it will remain gone, Author," said Dungeon Master nodding, "until the Evil Queen withdraws her claim on Venger's life."

Regina said, "You have no idea who and what you are messing with, Dungeon Master. Venger has trespassed on the most dangerous place _anywhere_ in all existence: He has come between a _mother_ and her _son_!"

"You have the truth of it," said Dungeon Master nodding. "Such a place is a dangerous one. But you should amend your statement, Evil Queen."

"I _meant_ Emma, _too_ ," said Regina rolling her eyes.

"I was not speaking of the Savior when I advised you to amend your statement, Evil Queen," said Dungeon Master solemnly. "I meant that you should rephrase your statement to say, between a _parent_ and _their_ son; a place where the two of you now find yourselves."

"Wait," said Emma, looking from Venger to Dungeon Master. "You mean . . . . _Seriously_ . . . ?"

Dungeon Master nodded. "Now, Evil Queen, do you relinquish your claim on Venger's life?"

"Very well, Dungeon Master," said Regina slowly. "But he still must be punished in some way. And in case you haven't gotten the memo yet, I'm _not_ the Evil Queen. The Evil Queen is dead."

"Perhaps she is, Regina," said Dungeon Master, "or perhaps not. But your own foolish choices that do not involve my family are none of my affair."

"Alright," said Emma. "Regina won't kill . . . Venger. Now, how about returning our portal back home to Storybrooke?" Dungeon Master nodded, and when Emma looked behind her, the portal to Gold's shop was restored. The moment it was, Emma's cellphone rang, and Emma answered it. "Whoa, four bars! We're getting _great_ reception here! It's my mom!"

"Your communications device will work so long as the portal between our worlds remains open," said Dungeon Master nodding. "Please give my regards to Snow White and Prince Charming, Savior."

But Emma ignored the small wizard, and said, "Mom?"

"Emma, what happened?" said Mary-Margaret. "The portal vanished for a moment. Zelena couldn't make it reappear."

"We're fine, mom," reassured Emma. "We have Henry and Violet, and we'll be back, soon."

"Good! We just got a call from Hank," said Mary-Margaret. "David went to let the visitors into Storybrooke with the Snow Queen's scroll."

"Hold up," said Emma. "What was Violet's _dad_ doing outside of Storybrooke?"

"Not _that_ Hank," said Mary Margaret. "Hank the _Ranger_ \- not Hank _Morgan_ ; and the other "Young Ones" are with him, too . . . . Oh, should I have said that, yet . . . ?"

 _Still good at keeping secrets, I see . . . ._ Regina thought to herself.

Emma looked over at Henry's and Violet's new friends and, noting the looks of surprise on their faces, said, "Mom, I'll call you back . . . ." Then Emma ended the call, turned to Dungeon Master, and said, "Alright, short-stuff, what's going on, here?"

"I am merely a father seeking to rescue _my_ son, Savior," said Dungeon Master. "Venger has him imprisoned, in a manner of speaking, and if the Ev – if _Regina_ crushes Venger's heart, my son will be lost to me, forever."

The Young Ones looked to each other in confusion. Dungeon Master _never_ mentioned having a son; much less a son who was being held prisoner by Venger . . . .

"You are a fool, Old Man," said Venger, who winced slightly as Regina gave his heart a gentle squeeze. Dungeon Master shot her a look of caution, the portal back to Storybrooke wavered, and Regina eased up on her grip. The portal came into sharp focus, again.

Hank said, "So, we can't go home, yet." A statement, not a question.

"You cannot leave The Realm now, Ranger," said Dungeon Master flatly. "But I can guarantee that the six of you will one day return home."

Sheila said, "What's that supposed to mean, Dungeon Master?"

Dungeon Master merely gestured silently toward the portal leading back to Storybrooke. Eric said, "That's it. I don't know about the rest of you, but _I'm_ going home." But when the Cavalier tried to pass through the portal, he met with resistance and was unable to pass through. "Alright, DM, what have you done . . . ?"

"This is not my doing, Cavalier," said Dungeon Master sincerely. "It simply is the way of things."

"Let me try," said Diana, who tried to go through and could not. Later on, Diana would describe the feeling to the others as how it felt to put two magnets together the wrong way, and they repelled instead of attracted each other.

Dungeon Master said, "Do you understand now, Acrobat, Daughter of an Astronomer?"

Diana nodded. The others looked to her for answers, and she said, "The problem is not magical, it is physical; _quantum physical_ , to be exact.

"We cannot _return_ to our world because we are already _there;_ as adults. Isn't that right, Dungeon Master?" The old man nodded sagely.

Presto said, "Exactly _when_ are you and Henry from, Violet?"

"Storybrooke is in the Year of Our Lord two-thousand sixteen," said Violet.

The kids all had a million and one questions. 2016! What was the future like? Did everyone have little walkie-talkies like Henry's mom Emma had? What were they doing? What kind of jobs did they have? Were any of them married, did they have _children_ of their own?

But before Emma, Regina, Henry or Violet could answer; Dungeon Master said that their questions would all be answered in good time.

Diana then remarked that it was not a good idea to know too much about their futures. "Look, guys, now we _know_ we get home, and for now, that has to be enough. Any additional knowledge could jeopardize even that outcome."

Dungeon Master nodded. "When you are finally able to return, it will be on the same day that you left. You will not have aged."

"Like the kids in the "Narnia" stories," said Presto nodding.

"So, what now?" said Eric.

"Now we get away from Venger's castle," said Hank. "He's sure to come after us the moment that Violet, Henry and his moms go back through the portal."

"How about this," said Regina. "We hold onto Venger for a couple of hours to give you time to get away from here. Besides, Venger needs to be punished for what he did to Henry, and I have just the way to do it. But Venger can't go to Storybrooke dressed like _that_ . . . ."

Regina waved her hand, enveloping Venger in blue smoke. When the smoke cleared, Venger's robes had been replaced with an expensive Italian designer suit. His horned headdress was now a Bluetooth cellphone with a slightly taller than standard antenna.

"Not too bad," remarked Regina. "Kind of a 'Bond Villain' look; I think Zelena will like it . . . ."

"Zelena?" said Venger. "The Wicked Witch of Western Oz?"

"One and the same," said Regina. "She's my sister; half-sister if you want to be technical about it, and she can use a night out on the town to help her . . . unwind . . . .

"What say you, Henry? Does a date with your Aunt Zelena sound like a just punishment for Venger?" Henry smiled and nodded.

"That is not possible," said Venger. "I have an understanding with Maleficent that –"

"I would not bring up Maleficent when you are out with Zelena, if I were you, Venger," said Regina pleasantly. "Trust me; you don't want to make her jealous. You won't like her when she is jealous!"

Bobby whispered to Henry, "That sounds like Bill Bixby on "The Incredible Hulk." Don't tell me that your Aunt Zelena is _She-Hulk_ , Henry!"

"No," said Henry. "But she _has_ been known to turn _green_ , on occasion."

Regina said, "Let's just say that my sister isn't the type who handles jealousy by curling up on the couch with a pint of Haggen-Dazs and Adele whining on the CD player . . . ."

"Who's Adele . . . ?" said Sheila.

"Wait," said Presto. "Have CD's _really_ replaced cassettes in the future . . . ?"

"I probably said too much already," said Regina. "Now, back to business. We'll all be meeting at Granny's Diner when we get back. So where to send Venger and Zelena . . . ?"

"How about Tony's?" said Emma. "That's where Killian took me on our first date." Emma looked at Venger, and smiled. "Try the Shrimp Scampi; it's delicious!"

"Excellent suggestion, Emma," said Regina smiling. "Now, let's all be on our way. Oh, I should probably do this, first . . . ." Regina waved her hand and a business card appeared in a small burst of blue smoke. Regina took out a pen, and wrote something on the back of it before handing it to Hank. "This is Snow's email address and where to go in Maine on May 16, 2016." Regina checked her watch. "Call us around 3:00 pm, and David – Prince Charming – will let you all into Storybrooke and take you to Granny's Diner, where we will all meet again in a few moments and answer any questions that you might still have at that point.

Hank nodded as he took the card. He was about to ask what "email" was, but decided that it would be better to find out when the right time came.

"Now, let's all get back to Storybrooke. I have to help my sister prepare for her date!"

After the Young Ones said goodbye to Violet, Henry and his moms, they left Venger's castle as quickly as they could. Dungeon Master nodded goodbye to them as they left. He would contact them very soon, once again, with one more adventure for them to go on before they could return home . . . .

In Storybrooke, Venger ruminated that Regina Mills had an odd idea of what constituted "punishment." Her sister Zelena was beautiful and eloquent, and they had much in common. Taking up Emma Swan's suggestion, Venger did order the Shrimp Scampi, followed by a dessert of something called cannoli with a drink called "cappuccino" that he found delicious.

Then, Venger and Zelena talked about their shared experiences with their parents, and how Zelena reconciled with her mother Cora almost too late, imploring Venger to not make the same mistake with his father. Venger promised to "consider" what Zelena had told him. But when he was finally released to return to The Realm of Dungeons and Dragons, Venger found that he did not have too long to consider whether or not he should contact his father for a parlay. On his throne, Venger found a parchment scroll from Dungeon Master, requesting a meeting on the Plain of Dreams the following day . . . .

The next day, Dungeon Master stood among the fogbound ruins of the Plain of Dreams when he suddenly became aware that he was not alone. But Dungeon Master knew that it was too early for it to be Venger, meaning that it could only be . . . .

"Rumpelstiltskin?"

"I'm right here, Dearie." Dungeon Master turned to see the Dark One of the Enchanted Forest step from behind a crumbling menhir. "I just came to see if you feel that I have fulfilled my part of our deal to your satisfaction."

"My son has agreed to meet me here, shortly," said Dungeon Master nodding. "I did not think that he would agree to do even that. So, yes, Dark One, I am satisfied . . . ."

"Good," said Rumpelstiltskin sincerely. "I wish that I could do more, but the rest is up to you from this point onward."

"I am grateful for that much," said Dungeon Master nodding. "Thank you. Now, as to your payment, I believe that you specified that I owe you a favor upon fulfilment?"

"That you do," said Rumple. "And my request for payment is that you do not squander this opportunity that I have set up for you."

Dungeon Master blinked. "T-that is all that you desire of me?"

"Oh, aye," said Rumple. "I know what it is like to lose a son, Dungeon Master, and I have quite literally moved worlds to be reunited with him once again.

"You may repay me by doing no less to reunite with _your_ son. Now, goodbye, and good luck, Dearie . . . ." Rumpelstiltskin then turned and began walking back behind the menhir.

"Wait!" said Dungeon Master as he hurried to catch up with the Dark One. "Should I ask my son . . . ?" But as Dungeon Master rounded the menhir, the Dark One was nowhere to be seen. Dungeon Master sighed and shook his head. "I suppose I had that coming to me, after all this time . . . ."

Slowly, Dungeon Master returned to where he had been waiting before Rumpelstiltskin had arrived, and continued to wait amid the desolation for his son to join him. Moments later, sensing that the time had arrived, Dungeon Master spoke the name his son had been calling himself by for millennia.

"Venger?"

"I am here, Old Man."

Dungeon Master turned to see a burst of magic split a monolith that fell apart down the middle to reveal a tall, pale man dressed in black, red and grey robes decorated with enchanted dragon wings and a headdress with a single horn. Inwardly, Dungeon Master sighed. His son always did have a flair for the dramatic.

"Dungeon Master, you are a fool."

Dungeon Master wanted to reply that he _was_ a fool. But that that, too, was an inevitable part of fatherhood.

Instead, he simply raised a polite eyebrow to his son in reply, fervently hoping that he was doing the right thing, and that he and Venger would fare better than Rumpelstiltskin and his son Balefire did with their own reunion.

And that with the help of his Young Ones; Dungeon Master knew that he and his son had a very good chance to do exactly that.

 **The End**

 **Author's Notes**

This story was something of an experiment for me as a fanfiction hobbyist. Recently, I was impressed by a short story (9,059 words long) posted on this site titled, The Temptation of Arthur Weasley, by dreamflower02. Until now, all of my own stores are in excess of 10,000 words in length, and I wanted to see if I could write a story, ( _not_ a "drabble" length story,) shorter than 10,000 words, myself.

Looking through my notes for my first "Dungeons and Dragons" crossover with "Once Upon A Time," I decided to resurrect one of my original ideas and update it for the current season of OUAT.

Also, I decided on a whim to post this story in the "Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon" category only, (which is already home to several crossovers with "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings," "Chronicles of Narnia," and a few others,) instead of as a crossover with OUAT in a shameless attempt to attract more readers who might otherwise shy-away from reading "crossovers."

Lastly, I would like to thank fellow FF hobbyists horacethepig and Esther-Channah for their input on my ideas for this project. I could not have done it without you.


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